Brother printers will support Amazon Dash, which is also coming to washing machines and glucose monitors.
Heads up, everyone: We now live in a world where your printer can automatically order ink for you when it's running low. And we have Amazon to thank for that.
The online retail giant on Tuesday launched the first devices that sync with its Amazon Dash Replenishment service. It enables connected devices — like your Brother printer, General Electric washer, and Gmate Smart blood glucose monitor — to automatically order supplies before you run out.
"With Amazon Dash Replenishment, we want to make customers' lives even easier so they won't run out of items like laundry detergent, pet food or printer ink again — customers simply activate Dash Replenishment when they are setting up their connected device and then rely on Amazon to automatically deliver those everyday essentials," Amazon Devices Director Daniel Rausch explained. "It's exciting to make Dash Replenishment a reality — customers can start taking advantage of the service today and we will continue to launch and add new devices to the program this year."
If you own a Brother connected printer, you can start using the service right now. Just head over to Brother's website, sign up for Dash Replenishment, and you'll never have to make an emergency trip to the office supply store for ink or toner again.
By the end of the month, the service will also be available for GE's washer with Smart Dispense technology and the Gmate monitoring device so you'll never run out of laundry detergent or blood sugar testing strips and lancets. In the future, Amazon is planning to offer this feature for even more products, including Purell soap and hand sanitizer and the Whirlpool Smart Dishwasher.
Amazon Dash Replenishment is an offshoot of the Amazon Dash buttons. The company currently offers small Wi-Fi-connected Dash buttons from brands like Tide and Gerber. Affix near your washing machine or fridge and press when you need more detergent or baby food. Amazon will send an alert to your phone; confirm and Amazon will ship the order.
In other Amazon news, the company is moving ahead with its Prime Air drone deliveries. In a recent interview with Yahoo's David Pogue, Amazon's Vice President for global public policy, Paul Misener, said the service will "get packages to customers within 30 minutes of them ordering it online at Amazon.com."
Meanwhile, Amazon's Echo device is gaining a new skill: the ability to read to you. It can read any books you purchase from the Kindle Store, borrowed from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library or Kindle Unlimited, or shared with you using Family Library.
